SpaceX launches heavy telecom satellite, sticks high-seas landing

This entry was posted by Luciana Pinkerton on September 10, 2018 at 11:19 am

Enlarge/ SpaceX launched a similar satellite, Telstar 19 Vantage, in July of this year. (credit: SpaceX)

12:55am ET Monday Update: A little more than an hour after its launch window opened—the delay was due to remnant thunderstorms in the area—SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched from Florida early on Monday morning. The rocket’s first stage made a flawless flight, and then descended to a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean and safely landed.

About 10 minutes after the launch, the rocket’s second stage completed its initial burn, with a secondary burn and satellite deployment expected about 40 minutes after liftoff.

This was SpaceX’s 16th mission of 2018. Two thirds of the orbital launches from U.S. soil this year have been flown by the California-based company.